Driver screamed for help as car slipped off pier in Buncrana

The scene at Buncrana Pier in Co Donegal after five people, including at least two children, have been killed and a baby girl is in hospital after a car they were in slipped from the pier. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 21, 2016. It is understood gardai are treating the incident as an accident and it is thought the car may have "slipped" into the water at around 7.30pm on Sunday. See PA story ACCIDENT Crash Ireland. Photo credit should read: PA Wire

Published:11:20Monday 21 March 2016

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An eyewitness watched a driver of a car scream for help as it slid into the sea off a pier, killing five people including at least two children.

Francis Crawford was with his wife in Buncrana in Co Donegal in the Irish Republic when the tragedy unfolded on Sunday evening.

He called 999 and pleaded with another man who was on the shore overlooking Lough Swilly to swim out to the car after the driver begged for help.

A baby was saved by the bystander and is said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

Emergency services said they recovered the bodies of two boys, a man and a woman and another female whose age has not been confirmed from the vehicle.

“The man was still shouting to me when the car went down. It was very sad,” he said.

“There was nothing I could do or nothing anybody could do.

“Any of the people who could do something were coming as quick as they could and got here in great time and knew what to do.

“But it was all too late. There was nothing anybody could do. Everybody did what they could and it was too late.”

It is understood gardai are treating the incident as an accident.

The car entered the water at around 7.30pm on Sunday evening.

The dead are all believed to be from Derry city.

Mr Crawford said the man who swam out to the car was a hero and risked his own life.